Who We Are : Our Staff

Staff members of Marion Nelson Funeral Home are caring and experienced professionals who understand that each family is unique and have personal requests and traditions. These requests and traditions are of the utmost importance to our staff.

President / Licensed Funeral Director

Danny Gill

Vice President / Licensed Funeral Director

Danny Gill is the Vice-President and Co-Owner of Marion Nelson Funeral Homes and Johnson-Nelson-Gill Funeral Home in Lake Wales and Frostproof. He is a native Floridian, raised in Lake Wales and a graduate of Lake Wales High School. Danny graduated in 1991, with honors, from Miami-Dade State College with an Associate of Science degree in Mortuary Science. He has been a licensed funeral director since 1992 after successfully passing his national and state board exams. In 1997, he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Finance from Webber International University. After many years in business, Danny decided to return to further his education and received a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in 2017 from Warner University and was inducted into Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society. He has served on many local boards, including Lake Wales Family YMCA, Lake Wales Little League, Lake Wales Amphitheatre, LWHS Athletic Booster Club, and LWHS SAC and previously on the Lake Wales Charter Schools Board of trustees from 2010 until 2018 with two of those years as the board Chair. Danny has rejoined the Lake Wales Charter Schools Board of Trustees in 2019 serving as the Board Chair. He and his wife, Lisa, have two children, Aaron and Zach, two grandsons, Kasen and Brogan and a granddaughter, Jernie Rayne. Other than his family, a proud accomplishment is being selected to umpire in the 2018 Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.

Tom Morse

Funeral Associate

Pastor Denny Cothern

Funeral Associate / Local Clergy

Funeral Associate / Local Clergy Denny and his wife Denise moved to Lake Wales from Green Cove Springs, FL in 1994, after being transferred by their church there to serve as pastors of The Golfview Church of God here in Lake Wales. Denny is a native of Alma, GA, but got to Lake Wales as soon as he could! Whenever anyone asks Denny where he lives, you will hear him say proudly..."Beautiful" Lake Wales, FL! "We have fallen in love with the city and the people, and we are so very honored to be of service to the community."

Pastor David Durham

Funeral Associate / Local Clergy

I have been Married to Diane for 35 wonderful years. We have three children: Jessica, Shana, & David Jr. I have been the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Waverly since 1996. Also serve as Regional Facilitator for the (ERC) Evangelism Response Center for North American Mission Board. For information or training regarding ERC you can email me or call 863-439-3400. My favorite desert is banana pudding. I Love to hunt, fish and welcome any opportunity to be invited on a good hunt.